Garage

ABSTRACT

A garage including two mobile platforms for motor vehicles arranged one above the other, the lower platform being rotatable about an axis located at the end remote from the entrance to the garage, and the upper platform being connected with the lower platform in such a manner that either platform can be selectively placed adjacent the entrance.

D United States Patent 1151 3,666,1 1 6 Klaus 1 May 30, 1972 GARAGE [56]References Cited [72] Inventor: Kaspar Klaus, 46 Schlachthofstrasse,UNITED STATES PATENTS Memmingen, Bavaria. Germany 2,717,088 9/1955Morley ...214/16.l ED 2,815,872 12/1957 Graham.. ....2l4/l6.l ED [22]1970 3,131,820 5/1964 Creedon ..214/16.1 ED [211 App]. No.: 78,965

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Related PP Dam 1,124,411 7/1956 France..2l4/16.1 ED Continuation f Sen No. Oct Germany abandoned, which is acontinuation of Ser No- 300,263 9/l965 Netherlands ..2l4/16.l ED 61 1967abandoned' Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza AssistantExaminer-Raymond B. Johnson [30] Forelgn Apphcatmn Priomy DataAtt0rneyHolman, Glascock, Downing & Seebald Feb. 1, 1966 Germany ..l(58290 [57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. ..2l4/ 16.1 ED, 187/8.71 A garageincluding two mobile platforms for motor vehicles [51] Int. Cl ..E04h6/06 arranged one above the other, the lower platform being 58 Field ofSearch ..214 1 6.1 R, 16.1 E, 16.1 ED; rotatable about an axis locatedat h n remo fr m h en- 187/8.71 832 trance to the garage, and the upperplatform being connected with the lower platform in such a manner thateither platform can be selectively placed adjacent the entrance.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures 1 1o ,i J

PATENTED I97? 3. 666,1 15

sum w 4 GARAGE This application is a continuation of application Ser.No. 872,431 filed Oct. 29, 1969 now abandoned, which is a continuationof application Ser. No. 611,003 filed Jan. 23, 1967, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a garage with two mobile platforms formotor vehicles arranged above each other.

It is the purpose of the invention to provide a garage of the abovementioned type which makes it possible to park two vehicles above eachother. In this garage the upper and the lower platform shall beaccessible at any time by simple transposition of the platforms. Anessential object of the invention is to make the arrangement in such amanner that the horizontal space requirements of the garage are thesame, or only slightly more, than the space required for parking asingle vechicle. A further object of the invention is to keep the heightdimensions of the garage as small as possible. lnspite of this, thespace available in the individual parking places shall be sufficient topark motor vehicles of practically any type on either of the twoplatforms.

Finally it is the object of the invention to carry out the means formoving the platform as simply as possible in order to keep themanufacturing expenses as low as possible and to guarantee a safe andreliable operation.

The present invention proposes first of all a garage which ischaracterized by the fact that the lower platform is pivotable around anarticulation at its end remote from the entrance to the garage and thatthe upper platform is coupled to the lower one and during the liftingmovement thereof there is also a shifting movement directed away fromthe entrance.

In the garage according to the invention the lower platform is thusessentially only lifted with its.end adjacent this entry if the platformis to be made accessible, or lowered if the upper platform is to beused. The upper platform carries out, as compared to the lower platform,a more or less wide shifting movement. The accessibility of the lowerplatform is improved thereby, the necessary inclinations of theplatforms are diminished and the complete space requirement of thedouble garage is reduced.

The invention is hereafter explained on the basis of some preferredembodiments.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show two operating positions of a garage according tothe invention,

FIG. 3 shows a modified embodiment, and

FIG. 4 to 8 show further variations of the invention.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 1 and 2 the upper platform isdesignated with the reference number 1 and the lower platform with 2.Both platforms are carried by the base frame 3. For the upper platform 1the rods 4 and 5 are provided in pairs outside of the space receivingthe vehicle 6 on the lower platform 2. The front rods 4 may be connectedby a bracing tube 7 running parallel to the articulation points 8, 9, 10and 1 l of the rods 4 and 5. Throughout this description the wordsarticulation and articulated preferably mean pivot" and pivoted". Thisbracing rod is provided in order to increase the stability of thecomplete arrangement.

For the drive of the articulated square formed by a part of the baseframe 3, the rods 4 and 5 and the upper platform 1, a cylinder-pistoncombination 30 is provided, which is articulated at the articulationpoint 31 on the base frame 3 and the articulation point 32 of the rods4. According to the admission of pressure medium to the cylinder pistongroup 30 the upper platform 1 can be shifted from the position shown inFIG. 1 in that according to FIG. 2 and vice-versa.

The lower platform 2 is articulated at 13 on the base frame 3 andconnected by means of the connecting link 14 between the articulationpoints 15 and 16 with the rod 5. The lower platform is thus movedsimultaneously with the upper platform 1 but the path of movement of thelower platform 2 is different from the path of movement of the upperplatform 1.

In the representation according to FIG. 1 the garage is in the drive-inposition for the upper platform 1. In the representation according toFIG. 2 the lower platform 2 can be used or the lower vehicle 6 can leavethe garage.

The embodiment according to FIG. 3 is different from that according toFIG. 1 and 2 by the arrangement of the drive device.

The pivot arm 17 is carried rotatably at 18 and is supported e.g. bymeans of the element 19 on the base frame 3. The pivot arm is arrangedlaterally of the lower platform 2 and preferably one pivot arm 17 isprovided on each side of the platform 2. Between the base frame 3 andthe pivot arm 17 the cylinder-piston combination 20 is arranged, intowhich pressure medium can be admitted by the driving arrangement 21,consisting of motor and pumps. The driving arrangement 21 is situated inthe central plane of the garage. In order to exclude a collision of thelower platform 2 with the driving arrangement 21 in the lowered positionof the lower platform 2, this lower platform 2 has a recess or issubdivided in two driving tracks respectively.

The pivot arm 17 acts through the intermediate rod 22 on the lowerplatform 2 and the drive of the upper platform 1 takes place by means ofthe rods 14 and 5.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 4 the upper platform 1 with therigid double stays 24 and 25 is rotatable around the articulation 23 onthe base frame 3. The lower platform 2 moves around the articulation 13at the front end. The tilting arm 26 which is carried and driven in thesame manner as the pivot arm 17 in the embodiment according to FIG. 3 isconnected on its free extremity 27 with a rod 28 engaging the upperplatform 1 and driving it. The rod 29 represents the connection betweenthe tilting arm 26 and the lower platform 2.

In the representations of FIG. 5 to 8 the lowered positions are shown indot-and-dash lines along with the lifted positions of the two platforms.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 5 this upper platform 1 is supportedsimilar to the embodiment according to FIG. 4 on the base frame 3 bymeans of the supports 34 and 35 rigidly connected with the platform atarticulation 23. The lower platform 2 is connected with the upperplatform 1 by means of a tension member 38 while the lifting device 37which may be similarly shaped to the cylinder and piston combination 20and 30, engages on the upper platform 1. By the tension member 38 it ispossible for lower platform 2 to remain in its lower-most positionduring part of the lowering movement of the upper platform 1. Thetension member 38 which has a telescope-type configuration is pushedtogether till the extremity at the side of the entrance of the upperplatform 1 is in its drive-in position. Thereby sufficient space is leftfor the vehicle on the lower platform.

Instead of the tension member 38 a rope, a chain or the like may beused. This is shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is different, furthermore, fromthe embodiments described above by the fact that the upper platform 1 issupported by means of a supporting member 36 on the articulation 23which is provided above the base frame and connects it with the latterby means of the support 40.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 7 the two platforms are connectedwith each other by rigid support 33 and 41 to form a rigid structure.This structure is moved by a cylinderpiston combination 42 and 43, sunkin the floor of the garage and fastened on the lower surface of thelower platform 2.

The embodiment according to FIG. 8 is finally characterized by the rigidsupports 34 and 35 which cause similar to the embodiment according toFIG. 5 a supporting of the upper platform 1 in the common articulation23 for both platforms. For the movement of the platform a pivot arm 12is provided, at the free extremity of which the cylinder-pistoncombination 20 is fastened. The connection articulation of thecylinderpiston combination 20 and of the pivot arm 12 is designated as44 and serves simultaneously as a fastening point for the intermediaterods 28 and 29. The rod 28 connects the cylinderpiston combination 20with the upper platform 1, while the rod 29 represents the connectionwith the lowerplatform 2.

What is claimed:

1. A garage for parking motor vehicles in a minimum amount of spacecomprising an entrance; a stationary base frame including asubstantially horizontal portion; said base frame having one endjuxtaposed to said entrance and a spaced end remote from said entrance;two motor vehicle storage platforms arranged above each other and apivotably movable about said base frame; means for pivotally moving saidplatforms about said base frame; each of said platforms having one endjuxtaposed to said entrance and a spaced end remote from said entrance;pivot means pivotably securing said remote end of the lower platform tosaid remote end of said base frame; at least two rod means on each sideof said platforms; the first of said rod means on each side of saidplatforms being positioned between said remote end of said upperplatform and said spaced remote end of said base frame and the second ofsaid rod means on each side of said platforms being spaced from saidfirst rod means toward said entrance; each of said rod means having anupper end connected to the portion of the upper platform to which it isjuxtaposed; each of said second rod means having a lower end connectedto said one end of said base frame; a connection member effectivelyconnecting said second rod means to the lower platform such thatbothvplatforms are rotatable about said pivot means for respectivelyreceiving and exiting motor vehicles at said entrance; and the platformsand connecting members being dimensioned and interconnected such thatwhen said one end of said upper platform is being positioned at saidentrance to receive or exit a motor vehicle said one end of saidplatforms move relative to one another such that the vertical distancebetween said one end of said platforms at said entrance is less than thevertical distance between said remote ends of said platforms.

2. The garage as claimed in claim 1 wherein said base frame includes asubstantially vertical portion adjacent said entrance and said lowerends of said second rod means are connected to said substantiallyvertical portion of said base frame 3. The garage as claimed in claim 1wherein each of said first rod means has a lower end connected to saidremote end of said base frame.

4. The garage as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rod means have pivotsat both ends thereof and pivotably connect said base frame and saidupper platform to form in side elevation an articulated polygon, wherebythe distances between the two rod pivots on said base frame are lessthan the distances between the two rod pivots on said upper platform.

5. The garage as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first rod meansincludes at least two rods having upper ends rigidly affixed to saidupper platform at said remote end of said upper platform and havinglower ends pivotably connected to said remote end of said base frame 6.The garage as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising an actuatingmeans for rotating said platforms including a cylinder-pistoncombination connected to a pivot arm in turn connected by anintermediate rod to said lower platform.

7. The garage as claimed in claim 6 wherein said pivot arm is alsoconnected by a further intermediate rod to said upper platform, the twointermediate rods being attached to one end portion of said pivot arm,the opposite end being pivotably connected to an element on said baseframe.

8. The garage as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first rod means is atelescopic lifting device pivotably connected to said upper platform,and said lower platform is suspended by means of said connection memberwhich is a tension member which allows a further lowering of said upperplatform after said lower platform is in its lowermost position.

1. A garage for parking motor vehicles in a minimum amount of spacecomprising an entrance; a stationary base frame including asubstantially horizontal portion; said base frame having one endjuxtaposed to said entrance and a spaced end remote from said entrance;two motor vehicle storage platforms arranged above each other and apivotably movable about said base frame; means for pivotally moving saidplatforms about said base frame; each of said platforms having one endjuxtaposed to said entrance and a spaced end remote from said entrance;pivot means pivotably securing said remote end of the lower platform tosaid remote end of said base frame; at least two rod means on each sideof said platforms; the first of said rod means on each side of saidplatforms being positioned between said remote end of said upperplatform and said spaced remote end of said base frame and the second ofsaid rod means on each side of said platforms being spaced from saidfirst rod means toward said entrance; each of said rod means having anupper end connected to the portion of the upper platform to which it isjuxtaposed; each of said second rod means having a lower end connectedto said one end of said base frame; a connection member effectivelyconnecting said second rod means to the lower platform such that bothplatforms are rotatable about said pivot means for respectivelyreceiving and exiting motor vehicles at said entrance; and the platformsand connecting members being dimensioned and interconnected such thatwhen said one end of said upper platform is being positioned at saidentrance to receive or exit a motor vehicle said one end of saidplatforms move relative to one another such that the vertical distancebetween said one end of said platforms at said entrance is less than thevertical distance between said remote ends of said platforms.
 2. Thegarage as claimed in claim 1 wherein said base frame includes asubstantially vertical portion adjacent said entrance and said lowerends of said second rod means are connected to said substantiallyvertical portion of said base frame.
 3. The garage as claimed in claim 1wherein each of said first rod means has a lower end connected to saidremote end of said base frame.
 4. The garage as claimed in claim 1wherein said rod means have pivots at both ends thereof and pivotablyconnect said base frame and said upper platform to form in sideelevation an articulated polygon, whereby the distances between the tworod pivots on said base frame are less than the distances between thetwo rod pivots on said upper platform.
 5. The garage as claimed in claim1 wherein said first rod means incLudes at least two rods having upperends rigidly affixed to said upper platform at said remote end of saidupper platform and having lower ends pivotably connected to said remoteend of said base frame.
 6. The garage as claimed in claim 1 and furthercomprising an actuating means for rotating said platforms including acylinder-piston combination connected to a pivot arm in turn connectedby an intermediate rod to said lower platform.
 7. The garage as claimedin claim 6 wherein said pivot arm is also connected by a furtherintermediate rod to said upper platform, the two intermediate rods beingattached to one end portion of said pivot arm, the opposite end beingpivotably connected to an element on said base frame.
 8. The garage asclaimed in claim 1 wherein said first rod means is a telescopic liftingdevice pivotably connected to said upper platform, and said lowerplatform is suspended by means of said connection member which is atension member which allows a further lowering of said upper platformafter said lower platform is in its lowermost position.